Details

Built for big days in the big mountains, the Trigger is pure, full-throttle descending mojo served up with a side of serious all-day pedalability. Its stiff, lightweight, full-carbon frame ensures dialed control on wicked descents, with suspension that you can flick into efficient Hustle Mode to devour climbs. Fox handles suspension needs with a Factory Float X EVOL shock cycling out 145mm of rear travel and a Factory Float 34 150mm-travel fork soaking up the big hits as you blast through rock gardens and launch drops. Rely on ravenous Maxxis Minion 3C EXO tires to bite hard into loose trails, while Cannondale’s flyweight HollowGram 30 wheels seem to disappear on climbs and hold up to dicey descents. SRAM gets you up the mountain fast with their extended-range, 12-speed Eagle X01/XX1 Eagle drivetrain and a Descendant carbon crankset, while their Guide RSC brakes bring everything to a controlled halt with incredible power and highly sought-after modulation. And, no trail bike is complete without the all-mountain performance edge offered by a RaceFace Turbine dropper post, routed internally with your other cables and hoses for an aesthetic as pure as the adrenaline coursing through your veins.

I took the '17 Trigger Carbon 1 out for a weekend. If you want a fun, plush, smooth, capable - did I say FUN?? - do everything all mountain bike, this is your ride! 140mm travel front and rear was ample enough for smaller drops and stunts. The Lefty front end is very stiff. The Trigger is fairly light but rides like an even lighter bike. The carbon rims spin up really fast - I felt like I was climbing on a much faster bike. Rocks and roots are nothing to this bike - you barely feel them. The dropper post with remote is going to be a "must have" on any of my future mountain bikes.
The cockpit is a little crowded, with the dropper remote and rear shock remote. Due to the design of the Lefty, the fork lockout is really easy to reach. The dual travel settings on the rear end were handy for climbs and smoother sections of trail. The bike didn't bob a lot under acceleration, although I'm a beefy guy and can move any bike with my leverage ;-)
I'm not a fan of SRAM shifters - the drivetrain worked well, but I hate the rear shifter. The buttons are too close for my fingers. I wish there were more Shimano options for this bike. If this was all XT, I'd buy it now.
This is not an XC race bike but would be great for enduros and long days in the saddle.